


The other brother

by Sasvde



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Holmes Brothers, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-04-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 20:39:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3742834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasvde/pseuds/Sasvde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There never was another Holmes brother. Or was there?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The other brother

After two weeks not seeing each other, I decided to visit my old friend in 221b Bakerstreet. Mary was busy with the cleaning so she sort of ordered me out. Go and see Sherlock. He hasn’t called or came over for dinner last week, which means he is on a case. No food means working. She told me. I was busy catching up on work so didn’t pay much attention to his lack of getting in contact. And he didn’t need me on this case. That is not unusual. He often wonders the streets of London working on a case without me since my marriage. Mary doesn’t mind me helping him. Just as long it is not too dangerous. Which is very difficult when Sherlock Holmes is your companion. He tries his best at choosing cases we can both work on. But sometimes the case isn’t for him to choose. It comes on his path whether he likes it or not. As is today.   
When I enter I see I am not the only one visiting. Mycroft is sitting in my chair with a face like thunder. He is famous for those faces. So I am not yet alarmed. Sherlock Holmes his faces I know very well by now. When I see what strain is on his face I am concerned.   
“ Sherlock, Problem?”   
I respectfully nod my head to both brothers and pull up a chair.   
“ John, it is best you leave the way you came. This is something where we don’t require your help.”   
I am not moving a muscle. Sherlock should know by now, saying something like that doesn’t make me listen. Mycroft looks at me as if he is going to kill me on the spot. I don’t move so they continue the conversation I interrupted.   
“ How is it possible Mycroft. I thought he couldn’t get off?”   
Mycroft looks at his brother in disbelief. Someone helped him. My question is Who? Nobody knew he was there. Not even mother. Not that she would help him escape. but if not her, who?”   
I don’t understand what or who they are talking about. Sherlock is in his thinking mode. Fingers under his chin and looking in the air not replying to anyone. Some days he could sit like that for hours and hours. Not today though. He looks at me with a worried look on his face.   
“ You really want to know?” That gets me even more interested. I sit up straight and look him in the eye while I give him a quick nod to say I do want to know.   
“ You obviously know the story of Napoleon and Elba? Yes I do. The island he ended up exiled on after his abdication.” Sherlock looks pleased, I know my history which he sometimes forgets. “ And after that? He escaped so he could rule again. Which was not very long. His reign ended at Waterloo. What has this got to do with the worry on both your faces?”   
The brothers exchange an unspoken sentence after which Sherlock turns to me and explains. “ We have that. An island where some of the most dangerous and unwanted criminals can be held and be forgotten. Our own little Elba just beside the coast of Scotland.” I can’t contain myself from grinning.   
“ Oh, come on , don’t be silly, that is an ancient story people told their kids long time ago to scare them. That is not real.” Sherlock smiles for a millisecond. “ Ah John, and therefore I admire you. Your little brain and its ability to believe all that is right or ignore what can’t possibly be true. And because of the majority of the world thinks like you precisely this island does exist. But why are you so upset about whatever happened on that island? Upset, I am NOT upset John. It is just…”  
He ponders for a while as if he is still undecided whether to tell me his grieve.   
But after a minute he does tell me. “ Our brother was on that island. Your what? You don’t have another brother besides Mycroft. That is what you have been telling me for years. I know John. And even that I question sometimes but unfortunately this black sheep of the family does exist. I won’t trouble you with all the info on that. All you must know now is that he somehow escaped the island. How we do not understand, it is the most secure piece of land in the country. But he did. And now he requested our presence.”   
Mycroft is checking his phone while Sherlock tells me this shocking part of his life I knew nothing about.  
“ So he escaped only to contact you ,to speak with you? If that was the case there wouldn’t be a problem John. There will be more. But we have to see him to hear what he wants from us. Will you come John? We might need your medical look on things.”   
Of course he doesn’t mean it like that. This is just his way telling me he wants me there. The story sounds so intriguing I decide to accompany him. Without saying a word the brothers get of their seats and make way to Mycroft’s car that is waiting outside with me following. The car takes us to the outskirts of London. After a short route on a B-Road we go through some gates where after a long stately drive we suddenly see an old castle. It looks derelict. Like it hasn’t been touched or lived in for decades.   
“ What is this place?”   
I get no answer. Mycroft does seem to know exactly where we are going. He opens a door with a code and as soon as we enter we see this isn’t what is looked like from the outside. Inside it looks very much rebuild for something secret. There is a technical office. Loads of computers and screens. But other than that the doors are closed so I can not see what is behind them. At the end of the hallway there is a man waiting for us it seems. He greets Mycroft and introduces himself to Sherlock and me. He leads us to a staircase that takes us down to the cellars of the castle. I have no idea what I am about to see but for now I will keep quiet.   
At the end of the staircase the man pauses as he points into the dark. “ The last one. Shout if you need me.” The brothers thank the, what is likely to be, security guard and walk on. They stop in front of the last cell. There is no other way of calling it. This part of the castle is made into or still is rather, old fashioned dungeons. There is light but not much. It gives me the shivers.   
“ Well then, here we are.”   
Mycroft his voice is loud and aggressive. Sherlock is quiet for now.   
“ What is it that you want from us. Why go to all that trouble of escaping just to be caught 3 weeks later?”   
My eyes are adjusting to the darkness it is not yet clear who he is talking to. The answer is sending shivers down my spine.   
“I don’t want to talk to you Mycroft. I need to talk to my real brother.”   
I look at Sherlock but his mouth did not move. I am flabbergasted for I did hear his voice, only slightly darker with a hint of a Scottish accent. I take a step closer to the bars of the cage to get a closer look. For now there is only a silhouette to be seen. He has his back towards us as he speaks.   
“ What is this medieval way of keeping prisoners?” I ask in disgust as I point at his right arm that is firmly restraint by a chain. The person in the dark tilts his head as he turns it slightly.   
“ Who is that? Don’t tell me mother had another?”   
As he slowly turns around I step back, shocked to see who is in front of me. I am looking into the eyes of the spitting image of Sherlock. The only way I can tell it is a different person is his way he looks at me. In disgust and with rage. The chains make a rattling noise while he takes another step forward. I now see his hair is a lot shorter and he is unshaven. A look Sherlock would never have unless he is undercover. I once asked him why his appearance is like this. Why not go for a trendy new look which he dismissed instantly. My hair is fine the way it is. Seeing how Sherlock reacts to this presumably brother I now understand why.   
“ I don’t want him here. GO AWAY!”   
He looks at me as his scream fills the dungeon.   
“ Doctor Watson stays. Or we all go.”   
Replies Sherlock who finally stepped forward. He instantly looses interest in me and steps aside so he and Sherlock are face to face.   
“ Ah, there he is. My brother. My blood, my body, my face…”   
He pauses.   
“ Just not my brilliance. We could have been so good together Sherlock. Invincible you and me. Good at what? You have never been good at anything which contributes to society. I am often reminded I don’t have a heart. But you, dear brother, your heart is Black, rotten even. Not good for anything other then to waste away on an island.” As he tries to get closer the chains rattle again and keep him from getting any closer. Sherlock isn’t intimidated and gets as close as he can to the face of his brother. “ I hope you’ve had a lovely three weeks on the mainland. Time to go home. Oh come on now Sherlock. It wouldn’t be this easy would it. I did have loads of fun yes. But just not the sort of fun I think you would like. How is Molly by the way?”   
Sherlock was about to walk away just when his brother mentioned Molly. Again their eyes meet but now Sherlock looks at him with a look that could kill. He tries to answer calmly. “Fine I suppose, she is a co worker at Bart’s nothing more. Why do you want to know anything about Molly.”   
His brother smiles at Sherlock. “ A co-worker. That is not what she says dear brother. She jumped at the chance of going on a date when I called her last week. She loved your new look, the sparkle in her eyes said enough of how she feels about you. So DO NOT tell me she is just a co-worker!”   
The last words filled the room again. For a minute all they can do is look at each other. Mycroft is the one to restart the conversation.   
“Where is Molly? What have you done to her?”   
My heart skips a beat. I am slow at comprehending compared to the Holmes brothers. That Molly could be in danger was the last thing I heard in that conversation.   
“Molly? He has taken Molly? Oh not just Molly doctor. Sally, she is a handful isn’t she? And Anderson is just stupid so I can imagine you don’t care if he lives or dies. Then there is Kitty, Mike Stamford, your postman, dentist and so many more. One person for every year I was put on that god forsaken island. Thanks to my brothers. Some more important than others, you don’t have many friends or people close do you Brother. But nevertheless you wouldn’t want to have the death of these people on your head now would you? I made sure they have some paper and pen so they can write down what happened to them and they all believed that you were the one they were talking to. Well apart from Sally, she is smart when she wants to be. But she is the one closest to dying. So we can keep talking, or are you going to find them?”   
Sherlock hesitates, looks at Mycroft and then to me. I am still in shock from seeing the twin brother so I am no help. Mycroft takes over.   
“And we should believe you why?”   
The twin brother looks at Mycroft while he sniggers. “ Yes why would you indeed. I wonder if your assistant believes when she sees Sherlock entering a room to save her when only hours earlier he tricked her into meeting him somewhere. My assistant? But she is on holiday.”   
The twin steps back and shrugs his shoulders. Fine by me. I don’t care at all about them. My life was over a long time ago. This is just some extra fun. I was going to disappear to a nice exotic location and never come back, but I should have known my brother is still playing detective and ruin everything for my friends from the other team. The criminal team you mean.” Sherlock looks like he is done but he needs to stay to find out what his twin is up to. Molly is in danger because of who he is. And what Mycroft and he did years ago to get him out of public life.


End file.
